Simple pleasures. This is what it's all about for me these days. When P, the kids, and I were on the road last year, slowness was our theme. Action and adventure does not describe our travel style - we had tons of family time and savored it deeply. I really believe the serenity of our time away added years back onto my life.

I am trying to figure out ways to integrate this attitude into our American lives. Lilah still finds great happiness in imaginary play and collecting twigs and flowers. Otis now goes to our local middle school and only gets in the car once in while. Paul and I are trying to limit our commitments and spend lots of time at home enjoying our kids. Little things.

What does this have to do with food? In our family, where much of life revolves around eating, this means taking time to harvest blackberries and picking apples with friends on their bucolic land in West Sonoma County.

Rach and Justin invited a slew of us to spend the day with them. It was true Indian summer. The leaves had started falling, a bit of crispness cooled the air while still being warm enough for kids to swim, pluck juicy concord grapes from the vine, and pick apples... Life is good.

I like how uncomplicated this apple tart is - just apples on buttery pastry with a sprinkle of sugar. Simple pleasure. But I also enjoyed gussying this apple tart up a little bit with a drizzle with Homemade Caramel Sauce and voila .... Caramel Apple Tart, anyone?

First,
you only need half of the recipe for the pastry dough for this recipe.
Have fun making a tart of your choice with the other half.

Second, please don't roll the dough too thin or the edges get pretty charred before the apples can cook all the way. (Tanis suggests rolling the dough into a 16x11 inch rectangle. I had more success when I made a thicker 11x6 inch oval of dough.)

Place the rolled out dough (on a parchment-lined baking sheet) into the fridge while you prep your apples.

Preheat oven to 375.

Peel and core apples and slice them thin. Take the prepared dough from the fridge. Lay the apples on the dough in long layered rows. ( If you aren't going to serve your tart until later, Tanis suggests covering the prepared tart in the fridge for up to 8 hours.)

Sprinkle Turbinado sugar over the apples and pastry. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the apples are tender.

We found the tart to be most delicious when served warm and drizzled with caramel sauce. When we ate the leftovers, we'd quickly warm up a slice in the oven before noshing.

We just ate up the last of a big batch of caramel sauce last night - I finishing what was left in the bowl with apple slices, while my fella dug deep down in the jar with a spatula, his fingers, and all his might. I've never seen him so concentrated on anything sweet before.

Lovely tart, it sounds amazing. Do the slices get at all dry during baking?

Look at those amazingly-toned legs in the above photo, I'm stuck on those. Hah:)

Emma, caramel sauce is such a dangerously good thing! I like your man's style - scraping the last bits from the jar. Good question about the apple... they didn't dry our much for me. And about those toned legs, I wish I could claim them as my own, but they belong to Rach;)

Thanks for your lovely, and heartfelt, comment on my recent post. This tart looks absolutely delicious, and who could say no to a smothering of incredible homemade caramel sauce. Your photos are beautiful too :-)

Thank you for the continued support to remember to "GO SLOW." Going against the societal pressure to "Do Do Do," takes remembering that we do not have to live according to this "belief." I want to suspend judgement about myself that I am not good enough or accomplished enough,because I am not "Doing." That is what I love about your site. Take time for the simple and meaningful. Thank you E.

Erin,This is just perfect. I find myself making apple and pear tarts nearly every weekend during the autumn. This weekend, I was fortunate to get a big bag of wild huckleberries and I helped my young niece to make her first gallette. Your photos are lovely- feel the late autumn sun like I'm right there with you.S

That tart looks so amazing, I love the big grains of sugar on the crust. The last picture is especially tasty looking. I always forget about tarts like this when I'm baking which is a shame because I love eating them.

By the way, Saveur Magazine featured my blog and I linked to your blog in the article as one of the blogs that I enjoy reading (because I do!) so that more people can come enjoy your recipes and stories and photos :) http://www.saveur.com/article/Kitchen/Sites-We-Love-Clockwork-Lemon?cmpid=tw

I'd love to get a slic of your rustic pie, or tart or whatever it is that you are having. I loved reading your blog. Your pictures are amazing too! I know why your recipes turn out a blast, you include passion and love in the mixture. This is exactly the way our kids love how treats are served...Thanks for sharing!